Fragile Landscapes

In Fragile Landscapes, Sophie Delaporte explores the fragile and shifting relationship between human presence and the natural world.

Large, vividly colored forms are photographed against expanses of sea and countryside. Sometimes reminiscent of human or animal silhouettes, they emerge from the landscape, float against the horizon, or gradually dissolve into it. Neither entirely present nor absent, they exist in a state of constant transition.

Yellow, deep blue, red—the intensity of these enigmatic forms stands in striking contrast to the subtle, nuanced tones of the sea and sky. Color becomes a structural element, flattening and simplifying the forms while unsettling our perception of space and volume.

As the forms shift, expand, and spill beyond their apparent boundaries, the landscape itself seems to become unstable. What initially appears familiar gradually becomes ambiguous. The silhouettes lose their distinct identity and begin to merge with their surroundings, pushing the image towards abstraction.

Between presence and disappearance, vulnerability and threat, Fragile Landscapes reflects on the uncertain balance between ourselves and the environments we inhabit. The landscape is no longer simply a backdrop, but a space in which forms, colors, and perceptions remain in constant tension.

The Fragile Landscapes series was awarded the Grand Prix Photography & Sustainability, organized by Eyes & Talent and Paris Good Fashion. A selection of photographs was exhibited along the Hôtel de Ville during the November 2019 edition of Paris Photo.